TeachingImprovisationintheOrchestraCurtisWinters,[email protected]
Whyteachimprovisation?
• Personalexpression• Spontaneouscomposition•
Practicalmusictheory• Ampupyourconcerts•
Enrichmentforadvancedstudents
Howtogetstarted?
• Useadrumbeatorbackuptrack•
Call&Response-“Iplay,thenyouplayitback”•
Startwith1noteandGRADUALLYincreasethenumberofnotes•
A-MinorPentatonic:A-C-D-E-G-A(startingonG-string,orA-stringforbasses)•
Yes,theteachermustleadtheCall&Response•
Compare“improvisation”to“talkingwithfriends”
Next-stepoptions:
• Practiceandmemorizepatternstodevelop“musclememory”•
GroupImprovPatterns•
“Trade2’s”-peopletaketurnsimprovising2measuresatatime•
Songsandplay-alongtracksfrommethodbooks•
Repertoirewithimprovisation“solosections”
Concertoptions:
• Addrepeatmarkingsandinsertasoloinarock/fiddlepiece•
ChangebackuppartstoPizz.sosoloistscanbeheard•
Useelectricinstruments•
Turnanyinstrumentintoan“electric”onewithatunerpickup•
Performasongwitha“solosection”
Importantscaletypes:
• MinorPentatonic:D-F-G-A-C-D• Major:D-E-F#-G-A-B-C#-D•
Mixolydian:D-E-F#-G-A-B-C-D• BluesScale:D-F-G-G#-A-C-D•
NaturalMinor:D-E-F-G-A-Bb-C-D• HarmonicMinor:D-E-F-G-A-Bb-C#-D
UsefulMethodBooks:BasicFiddlersPhilharmonic-Simple&Adv.Tunes,BackupPartJazzPhilharmonic-Tune,2BackupParts,Prep.Exerc.,SampleSolosJazzBasicsforStrings-FullArrangements,PreparatoryExercisesFiddlersPhilharmonic-Adv.Tunes,2BackupPartsMarkWoodMethod(Advanced)-Adv.Excerc.,HeadCharts,SampleSolos
Repertoire:(Ifoundthesepiecesbysearchingjwpepper.com,usingthekeywords“stringorchestraimprovise”,andthenclickingonthe“Easy”filterintheleftsidebar.)RockStyleArizonaSun,MarkWood-AMajorStringThang,MarkWood-EMinorPentatonicorEBluesHuntersofAvatar,MarkWood-EMinorPentatonicPepperoniPizzaRock,BrianBalmages(VeryEasy)-EMinorPentatonicBalladStyleBlueSkiesandBrightStars,MattTurner-CMajorPrarieWaltz,MattTurner-CMajororCPentatonicStarLake,MattTurner-DMajorFiddleStyleFiddleSomethin’,LarryClark-D7(DMixolydian)JapaneseHoedown,KeikoYamada-DPentatonicorD7(DMixolydian)SwingStyleShuffleupagus,MattTurner-GMinorPentatonicorGBluesOtherStylesSpyVsSpy,MattTurner(Tango)-BHarmonicMinorCalypso,MartinNorgaard(Calypso)-GMajor
EducationalObjectives:
• Improvisingwith1scale(easy)•
Improvisingwithseveralscaletypes(medium)•
Improvisingovermultiplechords(long,challengingroad)•
Oneimprovsongperyear(easy)• Oneimprovsongineachconcert(medium)
FreeStuffatwww.stepwisepublications.com/free-stuff.html
• AshaMevlanaA-MinorPentatonicbackuptrack•
Call&responsepatterns• Groupimprovpatterns•
Fullsong,“FracturedElements”,featuringA-MinorPentatonicsolosection
